March 13, 2024 Pinch Super1

MARCH 13, 2024

If St. Patrick’s Day inspires feelings of hearth and home rather than leprechauns and green beer, you can celebrate tradition with warm, filling meals that harken back to Irish heritage. Soups and stews are certain to conjure up some nostalgia while soft, delicious cake is a perfect way to honor tradition regardless of your ancestry.

This Irish Sláinte Stew offers a warm welcome to guests with your own way of toasting to the holiday – Sláinte is “cheers” in Gaelic. This hearty meal is perfect for a crowd with traditional stew meat slowcooked in a Dutch oven with beef broth, spices, carrots, potatoes, herbs and an Irish draught beer. Serve alongside crusty bread that’s ideal for soaking up each delicious drop.

Share a sweet way to complete the meal in style with Irish Apple Cake, a classic dessert to top off a filling celebration. This version is easy enough to prepare with a handful of everyday ingredients for the cake, a crumbly topping and homemade custard for the finishing touch.

If you’re looking for additional ways to honor tradition this St. Patrick’s Day, consider a few other cozy Irish dishes:

• Boxty (potato pancakes, similar to latkes)

• Boiled cabbage

• Irish soda bread

• Shepherd’s pie

• Corned beef and cabbage

• Potato soup

• Irish coffee

• Colcannon (mashed potatoes and greens)

• Coddle (typically including pork sausage, potatoes and onions)

• Seafood chowder

To find more ways to celebrate

St. Patrick’s Day, visit Culinary.net

Irish Sláinte Stew Oil, for drizzling

1 pound stew meat

1-2 pinches salt, plus additional to taste, divided

1-2 pinches pepper

3 tablespoons flour

48 ounces beef broth

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup celery, diced

3 cups potatoes, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 tablespoons garlic pepper

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried chives

1 bottle Irish draught beer of choice crusty bread, for serving

In Dutch oven over medium heat, drizzle oil and brown stew meat with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle flour over meat.

Add beef broth, carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, garlic pepper, thyme, rosemary and chives. Add Irish draught beer.

Bring to boil, stirring, 5 minutes. Simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve with crusty bread.

Irish Apple Cake

Cake:

3 cups self-rising flour

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 stick butter, cubed

3/4 cup sugar

4 apples of choice, peeled and cubed

2 eggs

1 cup half-and-half

Topping:

1/2 stick butter

3/4 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

Custard:

6 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease and flour 9-inch round springform pan.

To make cake: In large bowl, sift flour with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Using fork, cut butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Add sugar and apples; mix well. Stir in eggs and half-and-half until mixture reaches thick, dough-like batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

To make topping: In bowl, mix butter, flour and sugar to create crumbled mixture. Sprinkle on top of batter in pan. Bake 1 hour. Check with toothpick to make sure middle is completely done. If not, bake 5-10 minutes. Let cool on rack.

To make custard: Whisk egg yolks and sugar. In saucepan, bring half-and-half to boil. Add one spoonful half-and-half at a time to egg mixture, whisking while adding. Once whisked together, return to saucepan and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.

Serve custard over cake.

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Try This Simple-to-Make Fruit-Juice Gelatin

BY DONNA ERICKSON

When a snack attack hits or you crave a sweet dessert after a meal, what do you reach for: crunchy cookies, creamy pudding or a silky chocolate pie?

I’ve been thinking about how these tempting treats come in all shapes, sizes and wonderful tastes, but it’s also their texture that’s part of the draw. How about something smooth and also wobbly, jiggly, shimmery and just plain fun to eat? That’s where this recipe for cooking up healthy, fruit-juice-based gelatin comes in.

Cooking a batch of fruit-juice gelatin is as super simple to make as the Jell-O brand you may have eaten as a kid, but in this version, you’ll be heading to the juice aisle of your grocery store.

Look for clear juices (without added sugar), and while you’re at it, you might want to pick a flavor that’s new to your kids. My latest bottled juice picks were peach mango and cranberry pomegranate, along with my all-time favorites pure grape and white grape.

This recipe is ideal for cutting chilled gelatin into bite-sized square blocks. Serve them in small dessert dishes or parfait glasses. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for a special occasion.

Or you might like to create whimsical shapes with cookie cutters. How about shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day or alphabet letters that spell your toddler’s name? Set out the healthy snacktime treats on a platter for the taking.

SIMPLE-TO-MAKE FRUIT-JUICE

GELATIN

2 cups 100% fruit juice (avoid pineapple juice)

2 (1/4-ounce-sized) envelopes unflavored gelatin, such as the Knox brand In a medium-sized saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups of juice until it just reaches a boil. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, pour the 1/2 cup of remaining juice in a medium-sized bowl (preferably one with a spout). Sprinkle 2 envelopes of the unflavored gelatin on top and let stand at least 1 minute. Add hot fruit juice and stir until mixture is completely dissolved.

Pour into a bread loaf pan if you’re cutting them into square blocks. Or pour into an 8-by-8-inch baking dish if you’re making shapes with cookie cutters. Chill until firm, about 3 hours.

Dip the base of the pan or baking dish into warm water for a few seconds to loosen the gelatin. Cut into square blocks or cookie cutter shapes. I use a small offset frosting spatula for lifting the shapes out of the pan.

Cook’s Note: For a lighter, less-dense gelatin, use 1 envelope (1/4

FAMILY FEATURES

1. How many points did basketball star Epiphanny Prince score in Murry Bergtraum High School’s 137-32 win over Brandeis High School in 2006?

2. What racehorse won the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes but finished third in the Belmont Stakes?

3. A 1958 plane crash at Germany’s Munich-Riem Airport killed 23 people, including players, staff and supporters of what English football team?

4. The NHL’s Adams Division (1974-93) was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, founder of what NHL franchise?

5. What WNBA franchise, one of the league’s original eight teams in 1997, ceased operations in November 2009?

6. Name the American brothers who won gold and bronze medals in figure skating at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.

7. First presented in 2002, the Ted Hendricks Award honors the year’s top college football player in what position?

© 2024 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Q: Is it true that next season’s mystery on “Only Murders in the Building” will be set in Los Angeles instead of New York? I love the old apartment building they live in on the show. It won’t be the same if it’s in California. -- D.D.

A: I agree, but apparently only part of the season will be filmed in LA. According to TVLine, Craig Erwich, who oversees Hulu, loves the Big Apple but doesn’t want the show to become too insular. However, he assures fans that the Arconia apartment building will always be part of the show. Season three ended with Oliver’s (Martin Short) girlfriend, Loretta (Meryl Streep), moving back to LA,

Trivia Test

BY FIFI RODRIGUEZ

1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which large U.S. city is nicknamed Rip City?

2. MOVIES: Which movie features the quote, “She doesn’t even go here!”

3. GEOGRAPHY: Which national capital city is the northernmost in the world?

4. TELEVISION: Which long-running sitcom features a dad named Phil Dunphy?

5. GAMES: In chess, how many knights does each player have at the beginning?

6. GEOLOGY: What natural phenomenon is associated with igneous rock?

7. LANGUAGE: How many official languages are in the United

Nations?

8. MUSIC: David Grohl was a drummer in which band before he became the frontman for the Foo Fighters?

9. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of alligators called?

10. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of meat is used in Hasenpfeffer, a traditional German stew?

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

BY LUCIE WINBOURNE

• Andrew Jackson’s parrot was kicked out of his funeral for swearing.

• In 1947, The New York Times opined that “the pizza could be as popular a snack as the hamburger if Americans only knew more about it.”

• Buzz Aldrin’s mother’s maiden name was Moon.

• When pirate Richard Worley, captain of the New York’s Revenge, captured his second ship, he named it the New York Revenge’s Revenge.

• Wisconsin is known as the Badger State because the area’s lead miners used to spend winters in tunnels burrowed into hills -- like badgers.

* Jim Carrey was the first actor to have three number one movies in one year.

* The Palais Ideal in France was built entirely of stones that a postman named Ferdinand Cheval picked up on his mail route.

• Honey hunters in Mozambique use special calls to recruit the services of birds known as honeyguides. The birds lead the humans to bees’ nests, and in return, they get the leftover beeswax.

• In 1964, a pre-fame 17-year-old David Bowie was interviewed on the BBC program “Tonight” as the founder of The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men.

• Thomas Edison nicknamed two of his kids Dot and Dash after the Morse code signals.

* Army ants that misinterpret the scent trails left by other ants will sometimes break from the crowd and march in circles. If enough ants join them, they can form massive “death spirals.”

• John Quincy Adams was an avid skinny-dipper who included dips in the Potomac River as a regular part of his exercise regimen.

• Crayola came from the words for “oily chalk.”

• The U.S. Senate’s Rule XIX states that U.S. senators cannot insult their colleagues.

Thought for the Day: “Leaders can let you fail and yet not let you be a failure.” -- Stanley McChrystal

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

and it’s been confirmed that Streep will return for the new season. Joining them will be Charles (Steve Martin) and Mabel (Selena Gomez), who I’m assuming will tag along to LA to escape the seemingly cursed Arconia after last season ended with a cliff-hanging murder. Jane Lynch is also expected to return in some capacity as Charles’ stunt double.

The announcement of two more big names joining the cast should help alleviate the disappointment of those who aren’t pleased with the change of scenery.

Molly Shannon (“The Other Two”) will play a highpowered businesswoman, and Eva Longoria (“Desperate Housewives”) will also recur. No details have been given yet about her character.

***

Q: When is “Yellowstone” returning with new episodes? Is it true that Kevin Costner has left the show? -- K.S.

A: The wildly successful series “Yellowstone” will return with six final episodes, beginning this November, but it probably will not include Costner. The Dutton family story will continue with the focus remaining on Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly). Costner parted ways with the show and its creator Taylor Sheridan when a contract couldn’t be agreed upon. Sheridan has a spin-off in the works titled “2024,” but no further details have been

BY DANA JACKSON

announced (including whether it will star Matthew McConaughey, as rumored).

As for Costner, he recently released the trailer for his upcoming Civil War-era films, titled “Horizon: An American Saga,” which will be released in two parts this June and August. Costner not only directs but stars in “Horizon,” along with Sienna Miller and Sam Worthington. He said that he hasn’t “felt this way about a movie since ... making ‘Dances with Wolves,’” which was the Oscar-winning film he also pulled double duty with back in 1990.

***

Q: What happened to the boxer on the new season of “The Traitors?” I don’t recall him being voted out, and now he’s gone. -- A.M.

A: Former World Boxing heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was one of only two contestants on Peacock’s “The Traitors” who didn’t have reality show experience. He told the press that he chose to leave after three episodes because the show was bringing up emotional trauma from his childhood that caught him off-guard. The final straw was when he accused another innocent contestant of traitorous behavior. Wilder exited with his conscience intact. Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.

(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

PAW’S CORNER

BY SAM MAZOTTA

BY FREDDY GROVES

PUT A “PAUSE” ON YOUR SURGERY AT THE VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding

Already

The

Apparently, the pause in the rush to surgery is working. A recent study of 50,000 patients showed that a three-year mortality rate dropped significantly.

If you’re scheduled for surgery at the VA, ask for this Surgical Pause assessment, even if you don’t consider yourself to be frail. Ask about potential long-term recovery after surgery. Also to be considered: You might ask whether there is non-surgical treatment for your condition. If surgery is definitely in your future, ask, too, whether a three-six

SENIOR NEWS LINE

By Matilda Charles

It’s the Little Expenses That Add Up

“But it’s only ...” is a phrase I’ve come to dislike. It always involves money and people who don’t

THE HISTORY CHANNEL

Time

• On March 18, 1971, a 100-foot tsunami, caused by a massive rock avalanche that crashed into Lake Yanahuani from a height of 1,300 feet, destroyed a Peruvian mining camp and killed hundreds of people.

• On March 19, 1954, Willie Mosconi, aka Mr. Pocket Billiards, set a new world record for running the most consecutive pool balls without a miss -- 526, in fact! -- during an exhibition in Springfield, Ohio. A handwritten and notarized affidavit with the signatures of more than 35 eyewitnesses served as proof of his feat.

• On March 20, 1648, King Charles I of England attempted an initial escape from his captivity at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight by climbing out of a window, but the effort proved fruitless when he got stuck between its frame and an iron bar, and had to retreat to his room.

• On March 21, 1984, New York City’s Central Park designated a section of its grounds as “Strawberry Fields” to commemorate former Beatle John Lennon, who was shot dead in front of his nearby residence by Mark David Chapman.

• On March 22, 1946, the United States Army made its first successful launch of an American-built rocket out of the atmosphere, using a combination of American and German scientists in adapting the German V-2 rockets seized after the Allied victory in World War II. The rocket reached an altitude of about 50 miles.

• On March 23, 2022, New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced the country would relax Covid mandates for some of its workforce, allowing restaurants and similar hospitality venues to increase their indoor capacity from 100 to 200 people. Vaccine passes were no longer required to get into shops, and visitors no longer needed to scan the venue’s location using their Covid-19 tracer apps.

• On March 24, 2017, 560 people dressed as ghosts to set a world record for the largest such gathering. But these spooks at the Mercy School Mounthawk weren

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Hollywood

BY TONY RIZZO

Tony Rizzo

Depositphotos Actress and filmmaker

Maggie Gyllenhaal

HOLLYWOOD -- Are you ready for the battle of the Frankenstein movies? On the heels of the comedy-horror film “Lisa Frankenstein,” which opened dismally on Feb. 9 and starred “Riverdale’s” Cole Sprouse as Frankenstein’s Monster, it’s been announced that Guillermo del Toro has chosen Jacob Elordi as his Monster. No doubt Elordi’s 6-foot-5-inch frame fits right into the makeup of the creature. Meanwhile, Oscar Isaac is playing Victor Frankenstein.

There’s also a third film in the works, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, with Academy Award winner Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s Monster. It also stars Annette Bening, Penelope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard. This one’s set in 1930s Chicago and focuses on a search for bones that will lead to the creation of the reanimated Bride. This will make it more like the 1935 film “The Bride of Frankenstein,” starring Boris Karloff as the Monster and Elsa Lanchester as the Bride. Originally, it was being made by Netflix, but they dropped it when they opted for del Toro’s film instead. Fortunately, Warners picked up Gyllenhaal’s sophomore film.

***

Sylvester Stallone has named his heir to ... Rambo! Apparently, “Sly” met Ryan Gosling at a dinner party, and Gosling told him, “I was fascinated by Rambo, and I used to go to school dressed as Rambo and people chased me away and I still didn’t stop.” Stallone was so touched that he offered, “If I ever pass the baton, I’ll pass it on to him because he loves the character.” He also confessed, “Obviously

we are opposites. He’s good looking. I’m not. Seriously! Could you imagine me as Ken? It doesn’t work at all.”

Stallone has made five “Rambo” films and presumably said goodbye to the franchise with 2019’s “Rambo: Last Blood.” But don’t think for a minute that Stallone is slowing down. He’s currently shooting “The Epiphany,” in which he plays a hard-nosed, soon-toretired police detective who teams up with a younger cop and former priest to stop a serial killer in Philadelphia.

His Netflix series “Tulsa King,” in which he plays a Mafia don, has been renewed for a second season and co-stars his daughter Scarlett Rose Stallone. ***

Disney’s newest headache is the soon-to-bereleased $800,000 Canadian comedy-horror film

“Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” due sometime in March. While Walt Disney directed the 1928 short film “Steamboat Willie” (the early incarnation of Mickey Mouse that started it all), it entered the public domain on Jan. 1. No one could have imagined someone would make a film about a group of friends who get trapped in an amusement arcade after closing time and get terrorized by a killer in a Mickey Mouse costume. While he doesn’t look exactly like our Mickey Mouse today, it’s close enough. There’s a louse ripping off the “Mouse House!”

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

PATTI DIAMOND DIVAS ON A DIME

The meatball

as a beacon of convenience,

and thriftiness in the kitchen. From ancient Chinese recipes to Arabic delights and Roman feasts, meatballs have graced tables across civilizations for millennia, each culture adding its own unique twist. Whether nestled in a bed of spaghetti or adorning a sub sandwich, let’s dive into the delightful world of DIY meatballs. This recipe can utilize any ground meat that happens to be on sale this week, making it budget friendly and flexible. You can vary the seasoning to complement your sauce of choice.

VERY

VERSATILE HOMEMADE MEATBALLS

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Total Time: 22 to 35 minutes

1 pound ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, sausage or combination)

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup milk

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or another seasoning blend)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Olive oil (for cooking)

Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to mix until well combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can result in tough meatballs.

Shape the meat mixture into meatballs about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.

If baking, lightly brush or spray the meatballs with olive oil to help them brown and crisp up in the oven. Alternatively, if frying, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil.

If baking, bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through and browned on the outside. If frying, cook the meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the meatballs from the oven or skillet and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve the meatballs hot with your choice of sauce. They pair well with marinara sauce, barbecue sauce, creamy Alfredo sauce, sweet and sour sauce or any other favorite sauce of yours.

Freezing meatballs is a smart way to save time and ensure you always have a delicious meal on hand.

Once cooked, cool the meatballs completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or resealable bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Meatballs are incredibly versatile and can be served in a variety of delicious ways. Here are some ideas beyond spaghetti and subs:

Meatball Sliders: Serve meatballs on mini slider buns with your favorite toppings like cheese, lettuce, tomato and a drizzle of sauce.

Meatball Bowls: Serve meatballs over a bed of cooked grains like rice, quinoa or couscous, and add your favorite veggies and sauce for a customizable and nutritious bowl.

Meatball Soup: Add cooked meatballs to a pot